RSR to add Podcasting of posts

Given that a good friend of RSR is pursuing a career in broadcasting, we will begin to offer each and every post in audio form for your podcasting pleasure. At some point within the next two weeks we will make the grand rollout of this feature, which will be unique certainly within the CR blogosphere, and rare as well within the greater Ohio community of bloggers. Details are being worked out at the moment, and more will follow as it becomes more concrete. Also on the table are possible audio interviews with CR figures down the road, and maybe even some real politicians and politicos.

Real Reform principals issue statement on amendments

As any College Republican who is active within the national scene now knows, the full slate of amendments were passed today at the CRNC National Board Meeting after weeks of anxious hand-wringing by many who originally saw Charlie Smith's pledge to bring his supporters to the "Yea" column as an unlikely promise to be fulfilled. Real Reform principals Brian Siler and Brent Ludeman, both notably absent from the nation's capital this weekend, have issued a statement of thanks to their fellow CRs for working to pass the important measures.

"The amendments passed today are the result of six plus months of hard work guided by the bold principles and recommendations outlined in Real Reform. We see these amendments as a giant victory for this organization. We are excited that Real Reform was the genesis for the changes that will shape the future of our organization for generations to come. Thank you to all those who helped spearhead this effort and those who voted on the amendments today.

Reform does not end here. Make no mistake about it, the CRNC faces real problems that demand real solutions. The well-being of our organization has been sacrificed for political expediency and self-glorification too often in recent memory. Repeated scandals that never seem to end have undermined the credibility of our organization. We have lost our way.

In order to enact true, lasting reform in the CRNC, the culture of our organization and type of people we put in power must change. The procedural changes and safeguards put in place by the amendments passed today mean very little if the people entrusted to uphold them do not share the values they reflect. While we recognize that change does not occur overnight, we will continue to push for safeguards and individuals that work to eliminate corruption, increase accountability, improve transparency and put the grassroots first. We see today as just the first step.

Thank you again for all of your work in supporting these amendments and the Real Reform movement. Without your continued support, the changes enacted today would not have been possible."

Speculation about potential opposition to Charlie Smith's imminent election continues to foment, but one CR from Ohio noted that he has plans to meet with Siler in Columbus on Saturday, which would seem to put the kibash on such rumors of he and Ludeman riding into D.C. on white horses. Other sources from within the state have also confirmed that with the Midwest Vice-Chairman election all but over for Iowa's Bobby Kaufmann following Minnesota's decision to back Justin Smith, the decision was made to save the funds for an expanded field program come this fall. While some have speculated that Kaufmann could not win without the votes from Ohio, it was indeed the Minnesotan move that sounded the death knell. Sources have also informed RSR over the past few months that the ultimate priority for Siler became the passage of amendments, which seems to be given credence by the absence of any organized opposition ticket at this convention.

Ohio, Washington virtual no-shows at coronation

Two of the state federations viewed nationally as leaders within the CRNC's reform movement are largely absent from the early festivities of the biennial convention taking place this weekend in the nation's capital. With no real possibility at this late hour of a challenge to Charlie Smith's upcoming coronation, it is really no surprise that either of the states, or their sometimes enigmatic former Chairmen, Brian Siler and Brent Ludeman, are absent without leave. While the elections are not the only reason to show up, they certainly are the biggest motivator of attendance. With the election results hardly in doubt, even in each of the "Regional Vice-Chairman" contests, the urgency of appearing drops considerably.

Eagerness for Ohioans to attend the 2007 edition of the CRNC Convention surely did wane after a most disappointing Credentials Report back in the spring that left Ohio with fewer than half of the thirteen delegates that it had expected to receive. On the whole, the number of electoral votes allotted were down from 2005, but members of the Ohio College Republican Federation were caught by surprise at the low number of delegates their state was awarded. After a banner year of recruitment and a hard-fought victory for at least partially electronic credential verification, the expected number was 13 votes. While Ohio could still receive an additional vote if their appeal is successful, it still will fall far short.

Sources out of Ohio have noted that the savings from not sending a full delegation to the convention will allow for at least one extra field representative from the OCRF this fall. In taking a brief look at this fall's electoral slate in the Buckeye state, it is not lost on this College Republican that Columbus and Cincinnati both have major municipal elections come November. Extra feet on the ground organizing and driving out the grassroots volunteers that CRs can ably provide seems certainly to be a welcome asset for party leaders in both Franklin and Hamilton Counties.

Live Earth Celebrities to the Rest of Us: Stop Being You!

Today is another one of those days where the performing elites will assemble on various parts of the planet in support of a cause they know little to nothing about. In so doing they can blame George Bush for whatever it is they’re playing for either not doing enough about it or causing the problem entirely. Take a little from Column “A” and a little from Column “B” for the cause-de-jour, global warming. Yes, just in time for Al Gore’s third unsuccessful presidential run, the superstars of the performing world will bring global warming to our attention by traveling 222,623 miles between them and dumping several tons of fuel (in that it’s been several years since the Battle of Hastings) in the atmosphere and chastising the rest of us for our wasteful ways of life.

Global warming represents one of the most prominent pillars of the faith to the religion of Liberalism and its practice can best be described as “do as I say, not as I do.” The entertainers performing today are hardly environmental stewards, and the concert’s primary organizer is nothing less than a sinner. Gore’s “carbon footprint,” for instance, would require size 23 shoes. His mansion in Tennessee uses more electricity in a month than the average American household does in a year. His natural gas bill wasn’t chump change for the rest of us either: $1,080. What’s more, after making his movie in which he urged Americans to drastically reduce their energy consumption by using less electricity and gas at home (or else!), his personal energy consumption increased! The private jet he’ll be taking to the concert doesn’t exactly run on switch grass either.

It would be interesting if a portion of the proceeds for Live Earth went to cleaning up the environmental damage caused by holding the concerts in the first place. Celebrities are going to be traveling thousands of miles to get to these locations and I guarantee you not one will be taking the city bus. For that matter, they won’t be carpooling or even taking an airliner like the rest of us are told to. The damage to the ozone layer caused by all that fuel from each of their private jets should shame any environmentally and intellectually honest celebrity from coming to this event. This is in addition to other damage inflicted upon the planet such as the Gore-gantuan energy costs and piles of trash left by spectators. Let Melissa Etheridge try and blame that one on FEMA! Of course, this concert isn’t about being honest with the commoners or even being consistent. This is about, like, the environment, man! Oh, and George Bush doesn’t care about black people.

Personally, as I’m not being forced to watch it (yet), I’d rather exercise my right as a consumer while it still exists and watch something else that doesn’t insult me or make me feel guilty about watching it. Like a Lifetime movie. This is yet another excursion in to the world of public policy that celebrities feel entitled to dictate to us about by simply being celebrities. They take up the cause regardless of whether they know anything about it or whether they’re actually part of the problem itself. The likes of John Mayer and Madonna are no more qualified to talk about climate change than George Bush is to talk about music. Wait, who was it that was trying to tell who how to do their job again?

The Old College Try

YAF recently released their list of the Top Ten Campus Conservatives, and a couple good friends of RSR made an appearance on the list. Bowling Green's Dan Lipian, who is currently serving in his second term as BGSU CR Chairman and in his first term as Ohio College Republican Federation Secretary, was picked for his efforts with last year's 9/11: Never Forget Project and his phenomenal work in bringing conservative activist and musical legend Ted Nugent to Bowling Green. In an aside, RSR attended the evening with Nugent back in March, and it was absolutely packed. On one of the most liberal college campuses in Ohio, Dan and his great group of CRs like Co-Chairman Brian Kutzley packed the 1,000 seat auditorium within 50 seats of capacity.

URI College Republican Chairman Ryan Bilodeau, who is also serving currently as Rhode Island CR Chairman, also was named to the prestigious list. Bilodeau raised many eyebrows on campus with his WHAM (White Heterosexual American Male) Scholarship back last fall, and he went toe to toe with his university for the survival of College Republicans on URI's campus. Ryan has also spent much time coordinating independent student support for Mitt Romney, and was featured on a panel at CPAC with other young conservative leaders. Keep up the good work gents!

Knee High by the Fourth of July

With just ten days left in the mockery that is the campaign to be CRNC Chairman, the river of crap is rising with a nasty riptide that threatens to bring the whole organization crashing down upon itself. The organization we know and love, New CRNC, which is merely the name Charlie Smith has bestowed upon his ticket, is merely an accomplice after the fact at best and fully complicit with this current mess at worst.
This past month's events, shocking as they may seem to many, come as no surprise to us here at Red State Rampage. When we last opined, we spoke of a growing buyer's remorse, an outgoing Chairman in Paul Gourley who had lost any semblance of control, and a candidate in Charlie Smith who had yet to define himself once and for all. Now that all of these things have come to pass, many times over in some cases, it is very clear that someone must speak up once again.
As Truth Caucus moves on to more grown up topics, such as Paris Hilton's latest exploits, there emerges an ever growing void of hard news and solid opinion on today's CRNC, an ever dulling light shining into the cracks and crevices of this organization, the College Republicans. One thing is imminently recognizable, though: it is high time to hop back on the horse here at RSR and stir the pot once more. With that, we leave you for the next few hours to await the glorious return, a campaign of shock and awe like none seen before.

In Wake of Amnesty, Elites Get Mad, Plot to Get Even

Despite what you will hear from the mainstream media and the leadership of both parties, yesterday was a triumph. Ted Kennedy, John McCain, Harry Reid, AND George Bush’s immigration amnesty bill went down in flames Thursday when a crucial vote to cut off debate was defeated 53-46. Thursday represents a defeat for the Republican and Democrat party bosses and the elites they have sold their souls to in favor of this fatally-flawed legislation (big business, big labor, and big La Raza come to mind). It is a victory for everyone else (you know, the “loud folks”), and before we go any further, kudos are in high order for Senators- Republican and Democrat- who did the right thing and voted against their leadership and against cloture. Don’t expect the elites in the wake of this knock down to stay down, however.

This bill represents more than any other in recent memory the visible divide between the people’s elected representatives and the people who do the electing. Just take a look at the recent Gallup poll of Congress, which shows the lowest approval rating in the history of the Gallup poll itself. The bill failed principally thanks to an open rebellion among the American people, mostly- but not exclusively- on the right whose message was reverberated on the alternative media. Groups like the Heritage Foundation conducted cost studies placing enforcement (which begs the question that this bill could have been enforced) in the trillions of dollars. Bloggers like Michelle Malkin shed more light on the bill than many Senators would have liked and exposed it for the “come-and-get-it” amnesty it was. Talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham not only offered their views on the bill but aired their listeners’ concerns on the matter. Most importantly, ordinary citizens placed so many phone calls to their Senators that the phone system was overloaded and had to be shut down.

Their response was visible enough at first and will become even more so after their, umm, Cuatro de Julio trips back home. Many in support of the bill were shocked to find that their constituents did not share their enthusiasm for a porous if not absent border and a free pass for 20 million people. How did these public servants, these elected representatives react? By name-calling. Senator Graham’s “loud folks” was just the tip of the iceberg. Senators dropped terms like “racist,” “bigot,” and the slightly-dated “know-nothing” to describe their concerned constituents. Senator Feinstein declared that she had never before received such hate-filled mail from voters who didn’t want to live in a balkanized, bilingual state. Just yesterday, Majority Leader Harry Reid reported receiving a negative letter from a constituent which he promptly turned over to Capitol Police. I guess petitioning the government for a redress of grievances is grounds for a criminal investigation these days.

And what good is petitioning without a means to petition? Frustrated elitists on both sides of the aisle have now set their sights on the vehicle they see as most responsible for shutting down their amnesty bill: political talk radio. The left has been hinting since before they took power at bringing back the unconstitutional “Fairness Doctrine” to silence the voice of conservative opposition on the airwaves. Now it seems they’re not only serious about it, but they’ve got Republican support! Just ask Senator Foghorn Hairspray (R-Mississippi) who declared “talk [ah say, talk] radio is running this country and we’ve got to do something about it, [see?]” The “Fairness Doctrine” is gathering steam (or is that hot air?) with Senators Feinstein, Kerry, Durbin, Hillary, and others expressing their support. It was even reported that Democrats told wavering Republican Senators yesterday that by the time they returned from their angry constituents, they would have already “taken care” of talk radio.

It is now becoming apparent that hell hath no fury like an elite scorned, and it’s not hard to see why they’re reacting in this way. Congress and the President hold approval ratings which rival those of the Adams administration, and back then they countered the will of the people with the Alien and Sedition Acts, which made it a crime to criticize President Adams and the Federalist Party’s government. Several members of Thomas Jefferson’s Democratic-Republicans were thrown in jail for doing just that. The American people wouldn’t stand for such tyranny then and the Federalists were thrown out in 1800. Now, faced with bipartisan elitism, the end result is much less clear. The American public is quite clearly mad as hell at both parties, and the elites will more than likely try to silence opposing viewpoints in the media and re-impose the “Fairness Doctrine” to maintain their power. However, the two-party system in place in America ensures a result similar to the 1981 NBA Playoffs: somebody’s got to win, even if nobody’s paying attention.

With Dems in Left Field, Republicans Should Play to the Center

New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s termination of what can best be described as a brief and politically-convenient fling with the Republican Party ought to surprise no one. After all, he had been hinting for quite some time at an independent run for the White House next year. While his status as a Republican allowed him to ride his predecessor’s coattails to become mayor of America’s largest city, he fit in about as well with most in the party as I do in a room full of drunk coeds. His exit from the Republican Party is important not for what it means to his future but to the future of the party’s rapidly shrinking center.

Whatever you may think of his real compatibility with the Republican Party, Mike Bloomberg represents a certain wing of the party that is struggling to maintain their place at the table. These are the descendants of Rockefeller, Scranton, Nixon, and Ford who are at odds for being moderate or even liberal on certain issues that have defined the party platform since the 1980’s. They are pro-choice, pro-green deficit hawks who often defy their more conservative members on stem cell research and gay marriage. The losers in the schism that doomed the party in the election of 1964, they are now the ones who, for better or worse, argue for “big tent” inclusion against right-wing extremism.

The election of 2006 didn’t help GOP moderates whose ranks were further depleted by retirement and defeat. Jim Kolbe of Arizona, the House’s lone openly-gay Republican retired, Michigan’s Joe Schwarz was beaten in his primary, and Connecticut’s Nancy Johnson- a founding member of the Republican Main Street Partnership- was knocked off on election night. She, however, was not alone: six other moderate Republican Congressmen and Senator Lincoln Chafee joined Johnson’s involuntary return to the private sector. The fate of elected Republican moderates is not nearly as dire however as those who do the electing. This became apparent in the recent primary debate in Manchester, New Hampshire when a self-proclaimed moderate asked candidates what they would do to reach out to the party’s center. The recent midterms further illustrate how Karl Rove’s strategy of getting out the base on Election Day, while successful through three elections, has led to the party moderates being ignored or abandoned.

Perhaps the most intriguing question through all of this is: what should happen if this group of moderates resurfaces and is successful in nominating one of its own to the presidency? Rudy Giuliani is the current Republican favorite and possesses a pro-choice, pro-gay, pro-gun control record (though you wouldn’t know it now by asking him). Many on the right are cringing at the possibility of a Republican candidate who would uphold Roe v. Wade, or at the very least not go out of his way to try to overturn it. What then should happen if the two (or even three with Bloomberg) presidential candidates are all moderate or liberal on social issues? Would this lead to a Sam Brownback or a Pat Buchanan-like candidate bolting the GOP and running as an independent himself? It’s not nearly as far-fetched as it may at first seem: back in 2000 a Pat Robertson autodialer warned South Carolina Republicans not to vote for anybody if John McCain won the nomination.

As history (1912, 1964, and 1976) has shown, factional schism is poison to the Republican Party. It would seem in a race of such consequence that the Republicans have all hands on deck to beat whoever the Democrats come up with. I shouldn’t have to say again that the Democrats have a distinct advantage at this early point in the campaign. What’s more, 2006 proves the Republicans can’t simply rely on their conservative base alone to win, especially with that base becoming increasingly angry with the party itself. Furthermore, Republicans can no longer count on Democrats to beat themselves (or herself) and will have to win 2008 on their own merits with a candidate who is more than he is not. If Republicans hope to win with the right it needs first to reconcile with its center.

GOP Set to Party Like it’s 1993?

While I was in Canada I mentioned to a friend that I wanted to see Meech Lake, some 25 kilometers northwest of Ottawa. This was the site of the now infamous Meech Lake Accord, where Prime Minister Brian Mulroney tried to get Quebec to ratify the Canada Act in 1987. I told him that I wanted to see just where the Progressive Conservative Party ceased to exist as a national party, losing all but two of its 169 seats in the 1993 federal election. He then asked if I wanted to take a trip this summer to the Mexican border, where the Republican Party will cease to exist as a national party.

The more one looks at this ill-fated and even worse-conceived immigration bill the more it tends to resemble the Meech Lake Accord for the Republican Party. Both initially enjoyed the support of more than one party, both were hailed as compromises and the result of intense negotiations, both were geared at securing a certain group in an electoral coalition, and both (ironically) involved immigration in some form. Most importantly, however, both have severely alienated their party’s conservative base. In the case of Canada, this meant that more than half of the electorate switched parties in the 1993 elections. What’s more, the electoral coalition Mulroney built in his 1984 and 1988 landslides collapsed: Quebec nationalists voted for the new Bloc Quebecois while western conservatives chose Preston Manning’s Reform Party. Everyone else voted for the Liberals, who ended up winning big.

While there is as yet no third party or Manning-like figure to play Pac Man to the GOP’s traditional support, they do face a real threat from a rejuvenated Democratic Party. Today’s Democrats are proving what a difference two years can make with everything seemingly going their way. They have two rock star candidates for the presidency, the momentum of the 2006 midterm wave behind them, and a very unpopular lame duck president the Republicans have to stay away from to hope to win. Put simply, at this very early point in the campaign, the race is the Democrats’ to lose.

President Bush and a group of Senate RINOs aren’t making things any easier. To the contrary, they have taken to blaming “loud folks,” (you know, the ones who put them in power back in 2004) for their bill stalling in the Senate. They have taken to name-calling with “nativist” and “racist” being thrown around by Republicans to describe their most dedicated supporters less than three years ago. They have taken to praising Senate Democrats for their efforts in trying to push this bill forward against the efforts of its more conservative members. If the likes of Lindsey Graham think Democrats are so great for their efforts on this bill, then that’s exactly who his constituents might vote for in 2008.

There are even more immediate consequences for this bill, especially if your name is John McCain. While even being associated with the bill should hurt his campaign enough in the eyes of Republican primary voters, being a co-sponsor with Ted Kennedy could sink it. Even McCain admits it’s not a bill he would have written, which again seems curious when he’s a co-sponsor. If there are any beneficiaries on the right side of the aisle its Rudy and Romney for blasting the bill while proving they are more than single-issue candidates like Tom Tancredo.

While things aren’t nearly as dire for the Republicans now as they were for the Progressive Conservatives in 1993, there are some ominous signs on the horizon as well as some common mistakes in the past. President Bush’s second term can most-favorably be described as a series of unfortunate events. The nomination of Harriet Miers, the Charlie-Foxtrot surrounding Hurricane Katrina, and this current immigration bill stand out as some of the more devastating blows to his administration, to say nothing about the Iraq War. All we need now is a Goods and Services Tax to seal the Republicans’ fate.

By contrast, President Bush has no chosen successor as Prime Minister Mulroney did, and that’s probably a good thing. Mulroney’s heir apparent Kim Campbell was so inept a campaigner and her former boss was so unpopular that Liberal activists met her with chants of “Kim, Kim, you’re just like him!” wherever she went. Desperation time set in with the PC’s airing an ad for 24 hours showcasing Jean Chrétien’s Bell’s palsy. The gift of historical hindsight gives the Republicans roughly 18 months to change their fate for the better. The alternative is to be called upon to “bring out yer dead” on election night.

Tonight at the Reagan Derby

Historic Reagan Downs in Simi Valley, California will play host to the most tedious ninety minutes in politics, the first leg of the 55^th Run for the White House! Hello everybody, I’m Bob Costas proud to be with you today, mint julep in hand. The initial field is set today on a gorgeous day in California, and the track is running fast. However, many longtime followers of this race are not as enthusiastic about the field as they have been in races past. For more, let’s go down to Tom Hammond for a look at the lineup and the current odds.

Thanks, Bob. What some have called a weak field this season is due to take its first lap around the track where the great Ronaldus Magnus ended his final journey. Each candidate this year is almost certain to run or even look like Ronaldus Magnus and try to remind voters of him. Notable scratches this year include Ordering Law and Grich Blitz, both of whom could be late entries in other legs of the Run for the White House. The early frontrunner, out of New York, is Gracie Mansion in Lane One with 3-1 odds. Barbara Ann is in Lane Two with 7-2 odds. In Lane Three, a long shot facing 20-1 odds, is Tommy Boy. California’s own Armed Service is in Lane Four at 22-1. Salt Lake is in Lane Five at 4-1 odds. In Lane Six is Brownback Mountain at 15-1. At 9-1 in Lane Seven is Razorhuck, he’s from the same state as Slick Willie, who we all know won the Triple Crown in 1992 and 1996. Chairman More is in Lane Eight at 9-2 odds. Lane Nine hold’s the race’s dark horse, Doctor No, who is facing 50-1 odds. Finally, in Lane Ten is Gringo Star at 35-1. Now let’s go down to the track with Chris Matthews and the call to the post.

The candidates are entering the gates and the most tedious ninety minutes in politics is about to begin! There’s the call to post . . . and they’re off! Gracie Mansion is first out of the gate with a steady start on the Iraq War with a field of candidates behind him. Salt Lake running smoothly is catching up and Barbara Ann is covering his best ground at a furious pace! There’s a group of candidates behind the leader trying to catch up with Armed Service drawing attention to his experience, Brownback Mountain sidestepping, and Gringo Star tripping up every few steps. Far behind there’s Doctor No who seems to be running the other way! The candidates are turning the first corner now and jockeying for position on the War on Terror. Gracie Mansion is still in front with a slight lead over Salt Lake who is running smoothly and Barbara Ann who’s frustratingly trying to catch up. They’ve all got a comfortable lead on the rest of the pack who seem to be going nowhere.

We now head in to the straightaway on values with a down-the-line question on abortion. Brownback Mountain leads the charge of candidates to the right and picks up the pace. Barbara Ann runs softer but more dependably this time and Salt Lake tries shifting toward the middle of the track. Here’s Gracie Mansion still in the lead trying to shift from the left to the right and back again. And Gracie Mansion starts to stumble as he charges in a different direction from the pack! They continue on the values path and in to the corner on stem cell research. Brownback Mountain continues to surge to the right of the track, Barbara Ann running dependably in the middle, and Gracie Mansion trying to regain his early pace. Now it’s Salt Lake in the lead as his steady pace overtakes Gracie Mansion!

Down the stretch they come as bloggers from a left-wing website throw in obstacles to try and trip up the candidates! Salt Lake slows and turns to avoid a poorly-thrown question on hating America. Gracie Mansion leaps over a difficult road block on the difference between Sunnis and Shiites and regains his pace, but still trails Salt Lake! Here’s Doctor No returning to respectability with a boost on abolishing the IRS, but he’s still far behind. Salt Lake continues his smooth stride down the final straightaway and Salt Lake has won the Reagan Derby! It looks like Gracie Mansion will place and Barbara Ann will show. The first leg of the 55^th Run for the White House is over, with many, many more to go and the field certain to change with each event along the way. We thank those who attended tonight and the dozens of viewers who tuned in and watched at home! For Tom Hammond and Bob Costas, I’m Chris Matthews. Good night from Reagan Downs!